From the Great Earth of Life
by StrangeSingaporean
Summary: War is all around Walter and Integral. Walter is more human than ever since his vampirism, and since he cannot regenerate, he is on the verge of death. Mild IxW. One shot.


Disclaimer: Hellsing belongs to Kouta Hirano, Geneon Entertainment, Gonzo Animation and Dark Horse Comics.  
The poem and title is taken from Mr. Daisaku Ikeda, president of Soka Gakkai International and author of The Human Revolution; Shinichi Yamamoto composed the poem.

* * *

_Traveller_

_Where have you come from_

_Where do you go_

_The moon has set, the sun has not yet risen_

_In the chaos before dawn_

_Searching for the light_

_I press onward_

_To drive back the dark clouds of the mind_

_I seek the great tree unshaken by the storm_

_Will I spring up from the great earth of Life?_

**From the Great Earth of Life**

"No, Walter..."

"Just do it."

"No... I can't. I couldn't... No, don't. Please... Walter!"

Walter Dornez fell to the ground, exhausted and wounded. His current position may well be his Last Stand.

"Just... go. Go, Integral. I..." Though now a vampire, he cannot regenerate, such is his incompetence. At least now he is able to feel, as a human can.

"Don't, Walter. Please, don't. E-even so, I won't have a butler any more. No one can replace you."

"Go, Integral!" Walter shouted unexpectedly. "You... have to go... Go find safety; from you Hellsing will have to build up. You... you are the only strong-willed member of Hellsing left. I was entrusted with your life. I was to raise you up into the woman you are now. It is my duty to ensure you live. It was my vow..."

"I do not care for any vow at the moment!" cried Integral, tears welling up in her eyes. "They will kill you if you stay here, I'm certain."

A blast issued from behind them, scattering yet more corpses and shrapnel. The echoes of the blast was quickly drowned away by more thundering footsteps, as did the other explosions.

The situation was getting worse. They would have to leave now, or never.

"And they will kill you as well if you stayed, Integral," answered Walter wryly.

More explosions ensued, closely followed by the never-ceasing footsteps.

Suddenly, Walter gasped in pain, his breathing hastened.

"There... is only one way to keep me alive... to heal my wounds," he wheezed.

"There is? How? Tell me how!"

"Bur...bury me."

Integral froze for a moment. Surely he did not want to be buried alive?

But it seemed that it was indeed his intention.

"You have to!" he said, his breath coming in short spasms. "I won't die that way! I will only rest in the earth and heal."

"But we do not even know if it _will _work!"

"It will, it will! Trust me! I know it will! Besides, there is no harm in trying, is there?"

Integral, at this point, knew that her servant had a point. With a heavy heart, she raised the rusted and filthy shovel from the ground beside her and begun to dig.

It was difficult to push the discarded shovel into the ground and out again, wrenching soil out. More so knowing that it was her companion's grave.

His grave... Her guardian's grave... She was digging _his grave._

When she had finished, the shovel slipped out of her newly soiled hands and hit the ground with a loud _thunk_.

Walter, by then, was already groaning, his pain almost unbearable. Slowly, he started crawling towards the hole, not caring if it would help him at all.

He plunged into the deep hole; his face hit the earth-filled bottom. Mustering whatever strength he had left, he rolled onto his back, the excruciating throb in his wounds almost numbing him.

"Integral..." he whispered.

"Y-yes?" she asked, her heart breaking to see such a nice man in pain. It was a wonder how she managed to hear his voice amidst the roaring of the war behind.

"Now... throw forth the earth that was dug up. It will keep me safe. Believe me."

Integral forced herself to do so, feeling strikes of pain in her heart every time she let fly a scoop of earth. As it went, the pain no longer stayed within her heart. It spread throughout her body, affecting her limbs.

Even her arms threatened to give way whenever earth was scooped up onto the shovel.

Before his face was buried by earth, Walter said goodbye, his last words still ringing in the Knight's ears long after.

_From the Great Earth of Life we shall spring. From the Great Earth of Life I will spring. I will, it is my promise to you._

As she ran from the war zone, she repeated the words her butler had uttered before being engulfed in soil.

""From the Great Earth of Life I will spring." You had better, Walter. You _must_."


End file.
